(ENCINO, Calif., March 30, 2015) –On April 12, the Armenian Youth Federation San Fernando Valley “Sardarabad” Chapter will host its seventh annual “Cycle Against Denial”, a bike-a-thon to raise awareness about the Armenian Genocide.

“The cycle of denial will only end through education,” said Dikran Khodanian, a member of the “Sardarabad” Chapter. “The Armenian community must come together on this 100th year of commemoration to raise awareness and protest in a different way.”

This year’s event circles over 10 miles beginning and ending at Holy Martyrs Armenian Apostolic Church (5300 White Oak Ave., Encino). The route takes place along Ventura Boulevard, one of the busiest streets in the San Fernando Valley.

Check-in on the day of the event begins at 11 a.m. and is required for each rider. For those under the age of 18, an adult must be present to check in. The event participation fee is $5, which includes a t-shirt. The bike rental fee is $20. Those under the age of 18 must wear helmets at all times. For questions or more information, please e-mail cycleagainstdenial@gmail.com.

Founded in 1933, the Armenian Youth Federation is the largest and most influential Armenian American youth organization in the world, working to advance the social, political, educational and cultural awareness of Armenian youth.

Urge Snapchat to have an Armenian Genocide “Featured Story” on April 24. Send the following letter to Snapchat here.

This year marks the 100th commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, the first genocide of the 20th century. Millions of people around the world will be commemorating this on April 24, 2015. Hundreds of thousands of people will be taking the streets all around the world to demand justice for the crime of genocide. They will also be paying homage to the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian Genocide.

Celebrities like George Clooney, Kim Kardashian, and rock band System of a Down, to name a few, have been working to get the Armenian Genocide recognized in order to stop genocides from happening in the future by recognizing those of the past.

We ask that Snapchat be a leader in human rights and justice around the world, and feature this worldwide demand for justice as a featured story on Snapchat.

(GLENDALE, Calif., March 17, 2015) – The Armenian Youth Federation announced that the submission period for the “Nanor Krikorian” Scholarship has begun.

The scholarship, which serves local high school and college student, is in its 12th year and has provided over $200,000 worth of scholarships over the last decade.

“This is just another example of the investment the AYF makes not just in the youth or the community, but in our collective future as the Armenian Nation,” said Verginie Toulomian of the AYF’s Central Executive.

This scholarship is awarded to graduating high school seniors and college students of Armenian descent to aid in furthering their education. Scholarship awards of $1,000, $500 and $250 are given annually to qualified students who go through the application process and show exemplary merit. Particular emphasis is placed on a student’s public service and extracurricular activities in the community.

The “Nanor Krikorian” Scholarship was established in March of 2003 in memory of AYF member Nanor Krikorian, whose life was tragically cut short due to cancer.

“Though Nanor is not with us today, her memory has been an inspiration to the youth in our respective communities,” Touloumian said.

To apply for the scholarship, please download, complete and mail the application to the AYF Office at 104 N. Belmont St., Glendale, CA 91203, prior to April 30th. Applications may also be submitted through email by sending a scanned copy to ayf@ayfwest.org. The application is available for download on the AYF Website.

Founded in 1933, the Armenian Youth Federation is the largest and most influential Armenian American youth organization in the world, working to advance the social, political, educational and cultural awareness of Armenian youth.

AYF Western United States Members organizing a sudden die in at Staples Center in Los Angeles

On February 27, 2015 the Armenian Youth Federation of Canada along with the local Armenian Student Association organized a protest while speakers and genocide deniers held a lecture at the University of Toronto, St. George Campus.

More than 70 activists calmly stood up and turned their back during the lecture. Campus police were contacted but did not stop the silent protest, as it did not interfere with the event.

Members of the Armenian Youth Federation – Western Region of the U.S. held a die-in protest on March 1, 2015, in front of the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Over 60 members from the Armenian Youth Federation lay flat on their backs with posters in their hands stating demands, quotes and other information regarding the Armenian Genocide. After the Lakers game finished, the attendees of the basketball game rushed out of the Staples Center to avoid the heavy rainfall, although many couldn’t resist stopping and taking a look at what’s going on.

On March 2, 2015, during a talk on “Secularism in Turkey and France” at the faculty of law at Paris Descartes University, a member of the Armenian Youth Federation of France “Nor Seround” protested Turkey’s continued denial of the Armenian Genocide. The “Nor Seround” activist walked towards Ambassador Hakki Akil during the talk and threw a cup of pomegranate juice at Turkey’s Ambassador to France.
All of these different forms of protests happened within a span of four days and each one incorporated a different method of protesting.

The action taken on February 27, 2015 by the AYF of Canada was clear and directly aimed at genocide deniers. It was a silent form of protest but with the foe in the same room. Although, no form of direct communication was needed, they got their message across without subsequently negative consequences.

AYF Canada’s protest at University of Toronto, St. George Campus.

AYF Canada’s initiative was well received throughout the international Armenian community and quickly spread all over the social networks.

The die-in protest organized by the AYF-WUS held a more indirect approach. The main goal that it served was spreading information and awareness to the masses of Los Angeles, California. No foe was present at the setting, the activists were not hurting anybody, and the protest was peaceful from start to finish. It was a more unassertive approach to a protest against denialist policies held by Turkey and even the U.S. government. Nonetheless, the activists got their message across in both Los Angeles as well as the international community through social media. This form of protest along with the strategic planning of the setting possibly reached out to the most people who did not know anything about the Armenian Genocide.

AYF-France “Nor Seround” took a more radical route in their protest. They did not have 60 or 70 members at the place of the incident. All this form of protest took is one person. It had a clear and concise message. “Fascist Turkey! Justice for the Armenian people” was yelled by the protestor just after throwing pomegranate juice on the Ambassador which represented the blood that Turkey’s denialist regime has on their hands to this day. The news spread like wildfire all over social-media. Barely any negative comments and opinions were posted on the internet. Many praised the young Armenian from France and others even called him a hero.

There were other protests this week as well, all relating to the pogroms in Sumgait, Baku and Kirovabad against Armenians living in Azerbaijan. Two were organized by the AYF of South America (Union Juventud Armenia de Sudamerica), one in Buenos Aires, Argentina, another in Montevideo, Uruguay and also by the AYF of Holland.

The AYF of Armenia “HEM”, however, partook in the opposite of a protest. This group of young activists went to Artsakh with over a hundred members and showed support and solidarity with Artsakh’s population on the day which this atrocity is commemorated, February 27.

The purpose of writing this article is not to compare and contrast different forms of protest. I believe that all of these initiatives were proven to be successful in their own ways; from raising awareness to the public by peaceful means, to a more radical condemnation on genocide deniers. I am genuinely happy for all of the protesters, activists and members that participated in all of last week’s events.

The most important thing to understand is how crucial these protests and acts of solidarity are. Whether they are silent, or loud and disruptive, it does not matter. What matters is that there is action being taken to reach our goals.

Many of these protesters do not understand how significant their roles were during these protests, but proof of these demonstration through pictures and videos on social media motivate the masses to their core. It gives people hope, whether they are living in the homeland or diaspora.

These protests are sparks; enough sparks will create a fire. Let’s create a fire strong enough to light through the Turkish denialist machine and shed light on the Armenian Genocide.

Join the movement, join the cause. It is imperative that we stand up to constant oppression and denial, together.

AYF member Krista Apardian’s great-grandmother Lousaper Tachdjian was only 8 in Aintab when she participated in her uncle’s wedding ceremony the night before two policemen came and told them to collect their belongings and moved them to the city of Hama in the mountains. They stayed there for 2-3 months with no food or water. Turkish soldiers would occasionally destroy tents and laughed and kicked the starving children who begged the soldiers for food. Lousaper’s family escaped by telling the soldiers they were going to the bath house. They eventually got to Salemia. When the father of the family heard about the men being rounded up to go to the army, they travel to Mahara with a mule. Their horsemen told some Turkish men about the valuables the Tachdjian family might have, which made the men beat the father with big sticks for the family’s items and money. They found refuge in a cave, where they spent some time before settling in Aleppo.

Fifty days into the 100 Days of Action, I am filled with pride, hope, and more determination than ever before.

So far, the campaign has involved a number of events and social media campaigns geared toward gaining attention and awareness for the Armenian Cause.

A few events in the first 50 days stood out for me:

On January 17, a day after we learned that Armenian Genocide denialist Edward Erickson would be speaking at UCSD, we made the trip down to San Diego and attended his lecture. We listened to Erickson talk about the Ottoman Empire during World War I, referring to the genocide as the “1915 Relocation of Ottoman Armenians” and repeatedly overlooking the systematic and targeted killings by the Ottoman Empire. After he was done, the 30-something of us in attendance raised our hands for questions and exposed every hole in his so-called research. The next day, another group of AYF members attended his lecture in Orange County and did the same. The point was, we were not going to let this unmistakable denier of the genocide spread his false information, not where we can reach him.

Fast forward a few days, AYF members found themselves at UCLA for a student government vote on an initiative started by the AYF. The University of California invests over $72 million in Turkey, including bonds owned by the Turkish government. Essentially, the money that UC students pay for tuition funds Turkey’s efforts to deny the genocide. So, the AYF began this initiative in order to pull that $72 million investment. UCLA’s student government unanimously passed the divestment bill. About a month later, UC Berkeley’s student government also passed the bill unanimously, despite heavy opposition. At both schools, Armenian students, as well as non-Armenian supporters, spoke in favor of the bill using historical facts and logical reasoning to make their points. The opposition, in turn, had a nonexistent argument because they didn’t have the truth on their side. The same thing will continue to happen as we take the divestment initiative to the rest of the UC campuses.

On March 1, the AYF took to the streets of Downtown, Los Angeles, to raise awareness about the genocide. Around 6 p.m., when 19,000 fans would be exiting the Staples Center following the Lakers game, over 60 AYF members performed a “die-in” demonstration, simultaneously dropping to the ground despite the rainy weather. Passersby stopped and took pictures, read our signs, and asked us what we were doing. People who had never heard of the Armenian Genocide before now heard, and may very well have gone home and researched it to learn more. In the next few days, there was an overwhelming social media buzz about the “die-in” as people from all over the world saw photos and videos of the demonstration.

Three days after the “die-in”, we learned that the Carson City Council would be voting on a measure to erect a statue of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in a city park. If the measure passed, there would be a statue of the man who continued to perpetrate the Armenian Genocide following the fall of the Ottoman Empire in Southern California, where the largest Armenian population outside of Armenia resides. Over 400 Armenians attended the city council meeting to voice their opposition. When the Turkish Consul General took to the podium, Armenians in the room stood up and turned their backs as she spoke. Six speakers spoke for each side, but as was the case in the UCLA and Berkeley divestment measures, our side had the facts and the truth, and was ultimately successful when the city council unanimously voted against the building of the statue.

And that was just the first half.

Through all these actions, I have witnessed the hard work and undying dedication to the Armenian Cause by my fellow Ungers. The fire is burning inside each of us. Yes, our recent successes have been exciting, but we’re not satisfied. Our passion for the Armenian Cause is only growing. I’ve noticed this through my Ungers’ actions; I’ve noticed it in conversations with my Ungers. We know that the future of our Cause is in our hands, and it seems we’re ready to assume responsibility.

Today’s Survivor Story comes from Keghetzik Hagopian Zourikian. She is still alive and well at the young age of 104! She was born in Bursa, near Constantinople. In September of this year, Zourikian will turn 104 years old, as 2015 marks the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide perpetrated by the Young Turks who ruled the Ottoman Empire at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1915, Zourikian’s father was taken into the Turkish military, then killed for being an Armenian. She was subsequently separated from her mother and siblings at a young age and grew up as an orphan with only one of her sisters, until her sister fell ill and they also separated. Her journey as an orphaned refugee took her to Greece and Egypt. After leaving the orphanage she worked as a domestic helper in a Jewish household in Greece. Zourikian eventually met and married another orphan from the Armenian Genocide who was living in Beirut as a refugee. They started a family in Egypt and immigrated to Canada with their three children. Zourikian tracked down and met her mother only decades later since their forced separation as a child. Despite all the hardship Zourikian faced as a result of the Armenian Genocide, she is a living testament to how Armenians survived against all odds. She has 8 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren. At the age of 104, she exudes beauty, grace, and faith. Even today, as she recounts the unfolding and aftermath of the Armenian Genocide, her eyes reflect her unwavering inner strength and her will to survive.

(LOS ANGELES, March 1, 2015) – Over 60 members of the Armenian Youth Federation – Western United States took part in a “die-in” demonstration this afternoon in front of the Staples Center in Downtown.

The demonstration was planned in an effort to bring attention and awareness to the Armenian Genocide, as part of the AYF’s 100 Days of Action campaign leading to the centennial of the genocide.

“We’re here today to show the resilience of the Armenian youth 100 years after the Ottoman Empire tried to wipe out our entire race,” said Raffi Senekeremian, a member of the AYF’s Central Executive body. “The Armenian Genocide, being the first genocide of the 20th century, is not as widely-known as it should be, so we’re here trying to raise awareness on the issue in an active part of our city.”

Demonstrators simultaneously collapsed to the ground in the sudden-death act despite the rainy weather, as thousands of people exited the Staples Center following a Lakers game. They wore t-shirts that displayed the hashtag #ArmenianGenocide in order to foster a sense of awareness within the Los Angeles community. Several spectators joined the demonstrators on the ground.

Following the silent demonstration, AYF members marched across the street through L.A. Live chanting slogans to educate the public around them. Members also passed out multilingual pamphlets about the Armenian Genocide.

The “die-in” demonstration coincides with the United Nations’ Zero Discrimination Day. The day draws attention to millions who continue to suffer from prejudice and intolerance.

“The foundations of the Armenian Genocide were set on the ideas of racism and discrimination, but it has yet to be recognized by its perpetrators to this day,” said Verginie Touloumian, a member of the Central Executive. “The AYF calls on the global community to shed light on all crimes against humanity that have derived from an endless cycle of discrimination.”

The 100 Days of Action, which began on January 14, includes daily actions such as weekly social media campaigns, boycotts and divestment, political lobbying, tactical demonstrations, cultural displays, and educational forums. The campaign will culminate on April 24 with the March for Justice from Little Armenia to the Turkish Consulate in Los Angeles.

Information about the 100 Days of Action is available on www.ayfwest.org and across social media outlets (@ayfwest). Those who wish to participate can contact the AYF at 818-507-1933 or ayf@ayfwest.org.

Founded in 1933, the Armenian Youth Federation is the largest and most influential Armenian American youth organization in the world, working to advance the social, political, educational and cultural awareness of Armenian youth.